Wild goaltender Josh Harding can’t make the save against Montreal’s David Desharnais during a March 1 shootout. Harding has recovered from a leg injury he suffered March 8 in Phoenix but could see limited playing time over the final 11 games of the season.

Perhaps it is a dwindling schedule, the Wild’s crowded crease, his expiring contract or the approaching 10-year anniversary of being drafted by Minnesota that had goaltending Josh Harding waxing nostalgic Sunday, March 18.

Harding is healthy enough to start after being hampered by a leg injury that sidelined him midway through the Wild’s March 8 shootout victory at Phoenix. But it remains unclear when he will get another chance to showcase his game for the Wild or other suitors interested in signing Harding after he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Niklas Backstrom is poised to reclaim his status as the team’s No. 1 netminder following a two-week layoff because of a groin injury. Meanwhile, rookie Matt Hackett has leveraged five quality starts out of his latest promotion, burnishing his credentials as the Wild’s goalie of the future – a title Harding once owned.

Minnesota’s goaltending picture and Harding’s future will come into sharper focus over these final 11 games. Something has to give, and Harding knows it.

“Hack’s playing great. He’s so poised, so confident. And Back’s coming back. To get back in there I need to prove that I can do that job,” he said. “You’ve got to earn the right to stay here. You don’t have things given to you. I have to go out there and earn ice time, earn my next contract next year. I’m just looking forward to getting back in there.”

Harding was playing well in Phoenix, having stopped all 24 shots he faced before being injured. But he has struggled in the second half of the season, allowing 42 goals in his past 13 appearances.

Whatever trade value Harding had vanished leading up to the Feb. 28 deadline, preventing the Wild from getting something in return for their 2002 second-round draft choice.

“Obviously, you want to be a starting goalie,” Harding said after practice Sunday. “That’s stuff I’m going to deal with after the season. We still have 11 games left. We want to end strong. Things haven’t been going great, and we want to go off on a good note.”

Wild coach Mike Yeo said Backstrom is “very close” to returning and will be re-evaluated Monday before determining whether he can suit up against the Vancouver Canucks at Xcel Energy Center.

As for Harding, Yeo offered plenty of praise but nothing publicly about how he fits into the equation down the stretch.

“He’s part of this team. He’s played a lot of good hockey for us this year, and we still have a lot of confidence in what he can do,” Yeo said. “He’s healthy, and he’s had a couple days rest. We have confidence to put him in the net, and we want to win hockey games.”

Harding says he is prepared for whatever fate awaits him in Minnesota or elsewhere.

“I didn’t even know I was going to get drafted 10 years ago, so it was a surprise and an honor the Wild took me second (round),” he said. “I had a couple good years, and I’ve had some injuries to deal with, which was tough. In my mind I wanted to be a No. 1 goaltender, but it’s been fun here. I’ve been behind a guy who’s one of the best in the league. I’ve learned a lot from him. We’ll see what happens.”

Palmieri reassigned

Yeo wants right wing Nick Palmieri, who was reassigned Sunday to Houston of the American Hockey League, to improve his puck possession skills and refine his power forward game by getting more ice time with a winning team – an indictment of the Wild’s state of affairs as much as his play.

Palmieri had four goals among seven points and was minus-10 in 38 games.

“I don’t think his game is necessarily as high as it can be right now, and some of that is being in a tough situation here,” Yeo said. “For him to go down there and get confidence in his game and not worry about anything except just being a hockey player, I think it can be beneficial for him.”

Injury report

Center Mikko Koivu (shoulder) practiced, and his return remains a day-to-day proposition. “We’re just focused on getting him confident with the drills that he needs, so when he’s cleared he’s ready to go,” Yeo said….Banged-up center Matt Cullen was given the day off but is expected to play Monday against Vancouver.

Brian Murphy has been on the Pioneer Press sports staff since 2000, migrating from the Detroit Free Press, where he covered police, courts and sports for four years. Murphy was the Minnesota Wild/NHL beat writer from 2002 to 2008 and has covered the Vikings as a reporter and columnist since 2009. Murphy is a Detroit native and Wayne State University graduate.

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